The fenestration industry has used several methods of creating thermal barriers for windows and doors. The problem with the existing methods is that they have numerous limitations.
One way to address the thermal barrier issues for doors and windows has been to use poured and de-bridged method which has been done by pouring of a liquid urethane into a hollow cavity of an aluminum extrusion. Once hardened the aluminum on the back side of the hollow is then de-burred leaving only the urethane to hold the substrate together. With this method numerous issues have been encountered, such as, for example, (a) over the years the urethane would become brittle and crack, and therefore then allowed for air and water infiltration through the substrate, (b) this method is limited to aluminum extrusions only, (c) this method allows for a single color only for the substrate, to name a few.
Polyamide stitched into a Euro-bar was another improvement as a type of a thermal barrier. However, this solution created the possibility to combine two different extrusions with two different finishes. However, the polyamide stitched into a Euro-bar process is limited to aluminum extrusions only.
Another method proposed by U.S. Pat. No. 8,572,929 (Wolfgang Stumm), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, disclosed that in the case of a window or door element (1) having a metal frame and an insulated glass pane (7) inserted into the frame (2), a solution is to be created, with which such window or door elements can be produced without requiring, cold-forming, extrusion production of light-metal profiles, or another form of production of the frame elements. This is achieved in that the outer and/or inner surface of the frame (2) is formed, in each instance, by a flat metal frame (4, 5), wherein an insulation body (3) is positioned between the frame elements (4, 5), using sandwich construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,484,902 (John E. Brown, et al.), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a window assembly which includes a window frame having a front wall and a lateral wall, the window frame being set within a building opening. A thermal break liner having a laterally extending portion is provided wherein the laterally extending portion is positioned on the lateral wall of the window frame. The window assembly also includes a glazing with at least one pane of glass mounted in the window frame, a glazing bead for holding the glazing in place against the window frame, and a glazing bead retainer fixed to the thermal break liner for retaining the glazing bead in place on the thermal break liner. The thermal break liner is formed of a material having a low thermal transmittance factor and is positioned to prevent direct contact and thermal transfer between the glazing bead and the window frame. The window assembly may be a fixed or operable window assembly.
This invention improves on the deficiencies of the prior art and provides an inventive universal strut for doors and window elements, apparatus, system, and a method thereof.